GTPlanet Community Spotlight: An Assault on the Senses

– Simply amazing, August 19th, 2015, courtesy of G_Parrilla.

As I’ve alluded to for the past several weeks, September is almost certainly going to result in my unfortunate demise. The Ultimate Edition of Forza Motorsport 6 is now live for those that have indulged a little, and as you may have already seen in GTPlanet’s own review of the game, Forza Motorsport 6 is perhaps the best installment yet and the series can only improve from here as a result.

If you’re interested in my personal opinion of the game you’ll have to wait until a little later on when we’re wrapping things in the usual fashion, but until then it probably goes without saying that I’m infatuated with next-to-everything the game offers. It has its share of drawbacks but you’ll find yourself dissolving into the atmospheric nat—no, I said you’d have to wait until later on and that’s exactly what you’ll do, wait!

There’s something I’d like to pose to you, the GTPlanet community, something that could very well change the Spotlight from hereon after. As you will have undoubtedly noticed the Community Spotlight has gotten a little bit lengthy, and whether that be due to the sheer number of Spotlight worthy news items, my own ramblings, or the community’s own doing I’d like to know if the Spotlight should continue to serve your interests as it is now, or if it should scale things back ever so slightly so as to deliver the news you’ve all come to appreciate but in volumes as opposed to one weekly assault on the senses; you know what they say, quality over quantity!

Speaking more to my demise, I haven’t even begun to address the other two problems: Metal Gear Solid V, and Destiny: The Taken King. I need help, stat!

Who’s ready for the Spotlight?

GTPlanet Picture of the Week

This week’s featured image comes to us courtesy of JorgePinto and features the 2016 Mazda MX-5 rolling to the ways of a track covered in water.

If you like what you’re seeing and have a suggestion for next week’s featured image, start a conversation with me, entitle it “GTPlanet Picture of the Week” and fill it to your heart’s content with suggestions and they’ll be featured in upcoming Community Spotlight articles. NOTE: You cannot elect your own work.

GTPlanet Gallery of the Week

Once a month, instead of highlighting a single gallery and placing the spotlight on one individual, the spotlight will be placed on multiple people at once, thus allowing for even richer discussion and participation — and normally this would ring true, but in this particular case you can’t highlight one without also highlighting the other and that’s exactly what we’re going to do now.

This week’s featured gallery is yet another community effort maintained by budding virtual photographers and veterans alike with an added competitive twist.

“This week Queen Elizabeth II became the longest reigning monarch in British history, holding the throne for 63 years. Therefore I thought it’d be fitting to celebrate this occasion with some good old British engineering, whether it be McLaren, Aston Martin, Jaguar, or Land Rover. Take these magnificent cars out and show them off in all their beauty.”

You can use any car at any location and that includes Photo Travel, the only guideline is that the car be of British origin, like the McLaren 12C or Aston Martin One-77. You can have a look at this week’s competition and submit your own entry by stopping by the thread here and getting with the program!

If you like what you’re seeing and have a suggestion for next week’s featured gallery, start a conversation with me, entitle it “GTPlanet Gallery of the Week” and fill it to your heart’s content with suggestions and they’ll be featured in upcoming Community Spotlight articles. NOTE: You cannot elect your own gallery.

GTPlanet Question of the Week

– The BMW M4 Safety Car collects the field, September 6th, 2015, courtesy of TaSiMa.

Hey, T, what happened to the Thread of the Week?! I’ve said this a number of times and it bares being repeated as often as necessary; the Community Spotlight is all about introducing new ways to evoke serious discussion within, and an appreciation for the community here, and from hereinafter you’ll find this in lieu of the usual Thread of the Week, but only on alternating weeks; simply as a way to continually keep things fresh.

We’re starting with what many will consider to be an incredibly controversial topic, but this week’s opening question is simply this: is there anything worthwhile in retaining or even forming a loyal following with a particular genre or game franchise, and to that point why develop such a loyalty?

If you have any thought-provokinng questions you’d like to pose to the community it’s as simple as starting a conversation with me, entitling it “GTPlanet Question of the Week” and proceeding to fill it to your heart’s content with suggestions and it could be featured in an upcoming Community Spotlight article.

Thrustmaster Reveals the T300 Ferrari Integral Alcantara Edition

Thrustmaster has been on a developing path of nonstop domination and that continues with the recent revealing of what you’re seeing above, the T300 Ferrari Integral Racing Wheel. It combines three of their newest products into one package and it consists of the T300 base, the 599XX EVO 30 Alcantara Edition rim, and the T3PA pedal set.

“The T300 Ferrari Integral Racing Wheel Alcantara Edition, featuring official PS4™ and PS3™ licenses and also compatible with PC, is a powerful combination of the latest available next-gen Force Feedback technologies and the highest-quality materials: the end result is an approach in line with the values shared by Thrustmaster and Ferrari.”

The wheel will retail for €469.99 ($532.73) and will release in mid-October.

GTPlanet Vehicle of the Week – Vicious Corolla!

GTPlanet Tune of the Week

This week’s featured tune is all about tackling any 570PP event you can set your eyes upon with a replica of Ferrari’s 458 GT3.

“It all started with a message from a fellow member Danbojte, then I saw the red car in action at the track (a picture of it) and I realized I have the car in the garage, sitting there in stock form with over 200km from lapping Bathurst.

The Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 was born It’s a loosely based on real life car, not a full replica so to speak, as detailed information is hard to find, but I do have some of the most important information at hand. I spent a good hour or so to find the needed information, and tuning/testing around 2 hours.

This Ferrari 458 GT3 is very quick at 570PP, with its deficit in aero/down force, it excels in mechanical grip, balance, traction and acceleration even on higher speed region. Red makes it even faster!”

Be sure to stop by RIDOX’s Replica Garage tune page and give this one a go. Can you rise to the challenge?

The Last Lap

Let’s jump right back into things: It (Forza Motorsport 6) has its share of drawbacks but you’ll find yourself dissolving into the atmospheric nature of it all whether it be free run, test drive, or the career mode and you’ll be without a care in the world. That is, for the most part. One of those drawbacks is the Drivatar AI. I must have the worst luck with Forza’s “new” Drivatar system as I’m always paired with outright aggressive opponents that absolutely infuriate me. Then I remembered you now have the option to temper their aggressive tendencies, and for the most part I haven’t had a problem since.

Regardless, I still prefer the original Drivatar as it was one that you trained yourself with actual on-track time; training it to take corners in a way unique to your skill set across a number of body types and disciplines. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying here, the newer-yet-familiar Drivatar system that’s in play now works identically to the original system introduced in 2005, however, there was more of a relationship between you and your AI counterpart whereas now it feels detached. My problem may lie solely in the fact that it doesn’t feel as dedicated as it once did.

You’ve noticed by this point that this week’s Spotlight is shorter than it has been for the past couple of weeks and while it isn’t indicative of anything just yet, I am interested if many of you would approve of a volume-based format as opposed to the way it has been so be sure to let me know and we’ll take things as it comes.

Until next week, keep racing!

See more articles on GTPlanet Community Spotlight.